Handover-based wireless communications systems are known in the art. Cellular telephony networks are an example in this regard. In such a system, a transceiver can be handed over from a presently-utilized base station to another base station in order to maintain the transceiver's connection to the network. This can be appropriate, for example, as the transceiver moves and the strength of the signal from the presently-utilized base station becomes weaker. To facilitate such handovers, such transceivers often monitor and report one or more received signal strength metrics regarding both the presently-utilized base station and at least one other base station (typically the strongest base station(s) that the transceiver can detect other than the presently-utilized base station). The network utilizes such information to determine whether and when to effect such a handover. (As used herein, the expression “handover” will be understood to refer to switching a transceiver from one base station to another, both during an idle mode operating state (in order to maintain the transceiver's registration with the network) as well as during a cell-reselection process as occurs during a call (in order to support discontinuous support of the call).)
In some application settings the network may switch the transceiver back-and-forth multiple times between a same pair of base stations as each base station exhibits superior signal strength in a back-and-forth manner notwithstanding that both base stations are providing an acceptable level of support. This undesired behavior can lead to an undue consumption of network resources as handovers require more resources than many other activities and functionality. Many networks make use of an administrator-selectable cell reselection hysteresis parameter to attempt to control this unwanted behavior. In many application settings this parameter represents a handover threshold regarding a required level of difference between the presently-utilized base station and a candidate base station. For example, with a value of “6,” the network will not permit a handover unless and until the candidate base station's signal betters the presently-utilized base station's signal by at least 6 dB.
Such an approach, however, can prove troublesome to at least some users in areas where signal strength is relatively weak for both the presently-utilized base station and all handover candidate base stations. For example, when the signal strength for the presently-utilized base station is −108 dBm and the signal strength for a given neighboring base station is −106 dBm, such an approach will often block a handover to the neighboring base station (as the difference in signal strength between these two base stations is only 2 dB) notwithstanding that a handover will represent an improvement in signal strength and might represent the difference between seamlessly continuing a call or dropping the call. In such a case, what is generally useful and helpful to the network under strong signal conditions can prove ruthlessly harmful to the user at weaker signal strengths.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.